Many devices with a touch interface are able to recognize handwritten input. These devices identify characters in a user's input. They may use the recognized input in many ways, such as for input in a word processing application or as a trigger for executing an application.
A system enabling handwriting recognition utilizes various strategies to identify letters and symbols in a user's input. Some applications require that the system differentiate between uppercase and lowercase characters. One method for differentiating between a character's case is to constrain a user's input by position and size. For example, a software application operating on a tablet computer may display two fixed horizontal lines in an area in which a user is constrained for providing handwritten input, similar to lines on a sheet of notebook paper. When, for example, the software identifies a handwritten entry of the letter ‘s’ in the input area, which only spans half the distance between the horizontal lines, the software may identify a lowercase ‘s’. But when the input of the ‘s’ spans the entire distance between the horizontal lines, the software may identify an uppercase ‘S’.
A prerequisite for a system that differentiates between a character's case in this way is that a user's handwritten input be received at a particular orientation relative to the input area. But in some applications, it is impractical to constrain the orientation of a user's writing. One example is when a device capable of receiving handwritten input is deployed in a vehicle in a center console between a driver's seat and a passenger's seat. It would be useful if both a driver and a passenger of the vehicle could enter handwritten characters from their respective locations. But if the orientation that handwritten input can be received is constrained, either the driver or the passenger may be restricted from writing on the device.
The need exists for systems and methods that overcome the above problems, as well as systems and methods that provide additional benefits. Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and methods and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems and methods will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following Detailed Description.